Your Kids Are Growing Up, Are You?

(Journal entry 31/300)

My dad was a coach. His dad was, too. Me? I just write about them.

Sometimes, I think, maybe I write for them. Which, actually makes me happy.

Today, I ran across this article: Three Reasons Coaches Aren’t Respected Anymore. If you are a parent, you should read it.

If you are a parent with a kid in high school sports, you really (really, really) should read it. And, I’ll go even farther. If you have a kid on a high school team you should share it with EVERY SINGLE parent who has a kid on the team.

I can tell you with near certainty, that successful teams have great parents. No kids who are a cancer to the common goal. No parents who complain about their kids playing time.

Why? Because the coach is there to do a job the best he can. Let him. Or her. You think they might not be playing your kid because if they did the team would get better? Hardly.

Are you at practice, every single day? Doubtful. Do you spend 60 hours a week preparing practice plans and reviewing game film and drawing up scouting reports? I didn’t think so.

So, why the heck, when the coach goes to all that work, would the staff play the wrong kids? They are going to play the kids who give them the best chance to win the game.

So, parents, let’s do better. Let’s let the coaches do what they have been hired to do. Let’s also ensure our coaches get support from their superiors. That makes our kids and our teams better as well.

Want your kid to learn everything they can from sports? Support those who are coaching them.

“That’s what really motivates me. To make my coaches proud, to make my teammates proud. To make the fans proud.” — Aaron Rodgers